Fastener



Aug. 26, 1941. y E. Ei-N 2,253,712

FASTENER 4 Filed Aug. 19,4 1959 Patented Auf'. 26, 1941 Unir-Efo fsfrarss PATENT oFFlos'- a `-rnsTENER Emil Kern, '.Longllsland City, N. Y., assigner .to y

Acco Products, Ine., Longilsland City, .N. Y.,a' corporation of New York Y Application August 19, 19e-9,' seriaiNo. 290,982

(oran-153) 1 4 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in fasteners yfor V.binding ipapers, .such 'as letters, in a.

ile; and 'more particularly to an Y improved A.pap-er Ffastener,=.including albase `having spaced prongs .adapted to fextend through lholes in the lpapers Another lobject is to provide ia cover for aV compressor Vof the type described that `elim- L inates 'the Aexcessive tthickness objectionable in known types.

Another object is to provide a compressor, of the type having a slidable cover, pivotally mounted, with efficient means to frictionally hold said cover closed.

Another object is to provide a compressor with a cover embodying efficient structural detailsA adapting it for inexpensive manufacture and simple and positive operation.

The foregoing and such other objects of the invention will be more readily understood from a; perusal of the following speciiication in which reference Yis made to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan View 0f one form of fastener.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the fastener shown in Fig.V 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View taken on line S-Sof Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a fastener, showing one of its two covers in open position.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional View of another form of fastener, showing one of its covers in open position in dotted lines.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan View of the fastener of Fig. 5.

In 'all gures, like numerals identify corresponding parts.

The fasteners illustrated are simple, inexpensive to manufacture and easy to operate. Each embodiment disclosed includes a base member l l formed with spaced bendable prongs l2 adapted to be extended through openings in a stack of papers i3. The free ends of the prongs extend beyond the top of the stack through similarly spaced apertures ld in a compressor l5 andare disposed over the compressor. Y

Referring specically to the structure illus- .I5 .preferably Vis formed vwith .longitudinal ,ribs

vlon its upper Vface, one Vspaced inwardly from Yeach -edge .to define `a central vlongitudinal chan- Lnel 47 'to receive -the bent down ;ends of Vthe An elevatedstrap -I8I is; struck f up As prongs J2. .from the :compressor adjacent one end.

shown, said strap-spans-the channel l'l and-,preferably is disposed at substantially the same elelvation as thetopof ribs I6. Y l

-fAcover I9 is arranged on the-compressor for movement overjthe ,bent .down prongs 'to hold .them over the top facefof the compressor so'as .to .insure tighty binding of thefpaper-s; The; cover .I9 `preferably includes an elongatedfstrip of substantially stiifim-,aterial adapted tobe yarranged so that one end lies-beneath the lstrap 18 where .it is held while.-in l closed position, in `4the channel .-Ifl i over the :bent downends :of theA prongs.r `The other .end-.of the .c over. .l9 vis lpivot-ally .and slidably secured to thev compressor l5. As'il# lustrated, the cover is longitudinally slotted, as at 24, and co-acts with a rivet 25 on the cornpressor. Hence the cover is slidable longitudinally a sufficient distance to? disengage or engage its free end beneath the elevated strap I8.

An aperture v26 preferably is provided adjacent the free end of the cover tofrictionally engage over a projection 21 on `the bottom face of the strap to retard its longitudinal movement. Upon sliding the cover longitudinally to disengage its free end from beneath the strap, the cover may be rotated about rivet 25, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, whereupon access may be had to the bent down prongs l2.

Fig. 4 illustrates a compressor having two covers lila pivotally and slidably mounted one at each end of the compressor. The covers are locked in closed position, concealing the prongs l2,'while 'their free ends are engaged beneath opposed lips 28. The lips 28 rare struck upwardly from the compressor substantially midway between its ends. Each cover preferably is provided with a nger engaging apertured projection 29 adjacent its free end provided to facilitate its sliding. y

In the device shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the longitudinal margins 3l of the compressor are folded versely aligned short guides 34 to receive the VT-shaped ends of the covers ISU. The inwardly turned margins 3| are wider at the medial portion of the compressor, to provide opposed ele-` vated lips 28. the fastener, theV covers are swung downwardly As best shown in Fig. 5, to loclrr against the prongs and then slid longitudinally to position their free ends beneath the lips 28 whereby said prongs are held in locked position. Projections 29 may be provided on each cover to facilitate finger engagement therewith.

Although exemplary forms of the improved covered prong fastener have been shown and described in detail, it is to be understood that, the disclosures are illustrative and not restrictive and may embody variations in detail structure Without departing from the spirit of the invention of the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1.In a fastener for binding papers, the combination of, an elongated compressor plate adapted to have prongs folded there'over, said plate having a longitudinal channel in its top face into which said prongs are folded, a transverse strap bridging said channel adjacent its other end of said plate, a cover hingedly and slidably connected at one end to said plate longitudinally slidable in said channel over said prongs and having its other end engageable beneath said strap when said cover is slid in one direction, and means on said cover and in said strap arranged to co-aot to resist longitudinal sliding of the cover When engaged beneath said strap.

2. In a fastener for binding papers, the combination of, an elongated compressor plate adapted to have prongs folded thereover, said plate having a longitudinal channel in its top face into which said prongs are folded, a transverse strap bridging said channel adjacent one end of said plate, a cover longitudinally slidable in said channel over said prongs having one end engageable beneath said strap when said cover is slid in one direction, and a pivotal connection joining the other end of said cover to said plate whereby said cover is rotatable in a plane parallel to said plate when its free end is disengaged from beneath said strap, said connection embodying means to permit limited sliding of said cover.

3. In a fastener for binding papers, the combination of, an elongated compressor plate adapted to have prongs folded thereover, said plate having a longitudinal channel in its top face into Which said prongs are folded, a transverse strap bridging said channel adjacent one end of said plate, a cover longitudinally slidable in said channel over said prongs, said cover having a hinged and slidable connection at one end with said plate and having its other end engageable beneath said strap when said cover is slid in one direction, and a detent projection in the bottom face of said strap arranged to frictionally engage in an aperture in said cover to resist movement of the cover from beneath said strap.

4. In a fastener for binding papers, the combination of, an elongated compressor plate adapted to have prongs folded thereover, said plate having a longitudinal channel in its top face into which said prongs are folded, a transverse strap bridging said channel adjacent one end of said plate, a cover longitudinally slidable in said channel over said prongs having one end engageable beneath said strap when said cover is slid in one direction, a longitudinal slot at the other end of said cover, and a pin on said cover cooperating with said slot to provide a slidablehinge connection whereby said cover is rotatable in a plane parallel to said plate when its free end is disengaged by sliding it from beneath said strap.

EMIL KERN. 

